The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Justice has called upon chiefs and traditional leaders to promote the rule of law at the grassroots.

The appeal was made Wednesday during a forum on customary laws organized by UNDP and the ministry.

Jeremiah Swaka Moses says traditional leaders should play a key role in discouraging violence and promoting peaceful coexistence in their communities.

He told the chiefs that the biggest challenge to upholding the rule of law in South Sudan is the presence of arms in the hands of unauthorized persons.

“When government says let us disarm ourselves, traditional leaders must be part of that program because they know their people who are armed and who are not,” Mr Swaka stressed.

Meanwhile, the Acting Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands to South Sudan, Jaap van der Zeeuw, said traditional chiefs can work closely with other judges to promote the rule of law.

“The judges and justices are the guardians of the statutory laws. This forum is an opportunity to discuss how to combine your respective strength, perhaps in a form of hybrid mobile court, to serve the 64 tribes that call South Sudan their home,” he told the participants.

The forum is an annual exercise for traditional leaders across the country, and is expected to draw some recommendations for making policies.

It aims at orienting customary leaders with modern practice of Justice.

The initiative is being held under the theme; ‘Exploring traditional justice’ as a vehicle for peace and reconciliation in South Sudan.